Recently I was speaking at a women’s retreat in Paris. That may sound impressive until I add “Texas,” not “France.” As ladies from all walks of life worshiped together in Paris, Texas, the lyrics of a particular song struck a slight chord of regret in my heart. As we sang about longing to sit at
Source: http://www.womenoffaith.com/2012/05/connection-exclusive-shannon-ethridge/
Filled with some of the world’s finest art, and imaginatively blending art with the lectionary reading, Imaging the Word is a unique and invaluable treasure for home and church. No other curriculum offers a book like this for individual, family, group, church school, or congregational use.
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Children are perceived as powerless. But Jesus’ childhood incident gives us a new way to look at children.
Jesus stayed behind in the temple. Though He was only a child, Jesus listened and even questioned the religious teachers in the temple. While His parents searched for their lost son, He searched His heart’s desire, which was to get busy in His Father’s business.
The parents showed unawareness about their child, for they traveled almost a day before realizing that their son was not with them.
Parents should be aware of their children’s interests instead of being too busy and becoming negligent. It is high time for all parents to take note of their children’s interests and their likings in life.
Children are no longer objects of the ministry. They are partners in the ministry of God.
Let us create space for children on our faith journey, for their understanding of God and experiences with God are invaluable and thoroughly enriching. Our children have rich spiritual impulses in them.
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and people. So will our children in our families and centers. In the sight of God, all of us are equal.
In fact, Jesus later quotes that unless we become like children, it will be difficult for us to inherent the kingdom of God.
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. —Luke 2:52, NIV
Prayer: God, grant us the wisdom to accept children as equal partners and allow us to give full attention to their interests. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lawrence Mangalarajan is the Program Director of the Compassion office in South India.
Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.
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Victims of sexual abuse (and former abusers) will grow in wholeness and grace through this honest yet sensitive study that aids in recovery.
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This book unravels mysteries, corrects misunderstandings, and offers thoughtful, straightforward responses to common objections about the Catholic faith.
Bestselling author Scott Hahn, a convert to Catholicism, has experienced the doubts that so often drive discussions about God and the Church. In the years before his conversion, he was first a nonbeliever and then an anti-Catholic clergyman.
In REASONS TO BELIEVE, he explains the “how and why” of the Catholic faith—drawing from Scripture, his own struggles and those of other converts, as well as from everyday life and even natural science. Hahn shows that reason and revelation, nature and the supernatural, are not opposed to one another; rather they offer complementary evidence that God exists. But He doesn’t merely exist. He is someone, and He has a personality, a personal style, that is discernible and knowable. Hahn leads readers to see that God created the universe with a purpose and a form—a form that can be found in the Book of Genesis and that is there when we view the natural world through a microscope, through a telescope, or through our contact lenses.
At the heart of the book is Hahn’s examination of the ten “keys to the kingdom”—the characteristics of the Church clearly evident in the Scriptures. As the story of creation discloses, the world is a house that has a Father, a palace where the king is really present. God created the cosmos to be a kingdom, and that kingdom is the universal Church, fully revealed by Jesus Christ.
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I recently gave my first presentation as an Advocate for Compassion International. The church I was visiting had the sermon based upon Compassion’s ministry and allowed me a 20-minute presentation. I was so excited for this opportunity that I could hardly sleep the night before.
The morning of my presentation, I woke to overflowing toilets. I decided this would not slow me down, so I hopped into the shower. Just as I lathered shampoo into my hair, sewage started bubbling up from the drain. I had to get out mid-bath, covered in soap. I made the best of it, styling my soapy hair.
My husband stayed home from church to wait for the plumber, meanwhile using the Shop-Vac to keep the sewage from flooding the floors.
I had bought a special dress for the event. I knew I had the right size because the size was clearly labeled on the hanger. I put on my dress to realize the hanger was for my size but the dress was three sizes too large. I gathered up the fabric, pulled it together, and gave it an “emergency hem” with safety pins.
As I exited my car at the church, I realize that I had selected two different shoes. Both were black sandals but one heel was higher than the other.
I marched into the church with blow-dried suds in my hair, bi-level shoes, and a pinned-up dress — pretending to have my act together.
I was not letting a few inconveniences get in the way of children being sponsored.
After all, my toilet may have been temporarily out of order, but most of these children don’t even have a toilet. I may have had sudsy hair, but at least I have shampoo and safe water to clean it. I may have worn a huge dress, but I can go buy one in the right size. And I have the luxury of having so many shoes that I can’t even tell them apart.
God was with me through the presentation. The words flowed freely from my lips as if I’d never been afraid of speaking publicly. I was confident throughout the presentation.
And after all of that, no one sponsored a child that day – but a seed was planted for God to grow.
I dealt with plenty of inconveniences that morning, but I’m confident that God used them for His purpose.
I learned an important lesson on Compassion Sunday. That this day wasn’t about my hair, my dress, my shoes, my plumbing, or about me at all.
It was all about Jesus.
It was about children who need Jesus. I realize that I live with so many luxuries and so much comfort that these children will probably never experience. I realized that a lot of my “needs” are actually luxuries.
God used this day to show me that I am so blessed to have temporary inconveniences. It’s time to re-evaluate my life and my expenses to see how I can do more.
I will be an advocate for these children wherever I am invited, whether many children get sponsored or none do, because it really is all about Jesus.
This is how I will serve God, and how I will make Compassion available to others who want to serve Him through this ministry.
I am delighted to know that what I am doing for these children through Compassion I am also doing for Jesus.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Beverly Yearwood became a sponsor in 2011 and an Advocate in 2012. She sponsors two children and is a correspondent sponsor for three more. She lives with her family in Vicksburg, Miss.
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Here are simple steps that you can follow to seek after the type of religion that God accepts. It is not about perfect church attendance, giving to the poor or tithing. It’s about starting a…
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Source: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-pure-and-undefiled-religion-before-god/
From the oppression and terror of the killing fields in Cambodia, this is the story of how one man’s conversion led to a rebirth of faith that brought hope to a nation. Commissioned by Communists as a spy in the concentration camps, Barnabas Mam came to faith in Christ and became the foremost evangelist and church planter in a land broken by genocide. An inspiring story on a personal, church, and national level, this is more than a narrative–it’s a blueprint for success for church growth of the most powerful kind.
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Although our sponsored children don’t have access to many material resources, they have access to the immeasurable love of Christ! Pray that your sponsored child would live a life of love — committed to the love of their Lord and the love of others around them.
Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.
“And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:2, NIV
Prayer prompts copyright Bob Hostetler, bobhostetler.com. Used with permission by the author.
Read other ways to pray for your sponsored child.
My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates
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I volunteer at a halfway house in downtown Nashville called The Next Door that’s a faith-based, six-month residential program for women recovering from addiction to drugs or alcohol. And as a result, I’ve been invited to several AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings with my friends in recovery. Of course I can’t
Source: http://www.womenoffaith.com/2012/05/carried-away-by-grace/